Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. I'll be continuing on with talking about the Affirmative Action Policy from yesterday. Many of the problems that I see with the Affirmative Action Policy have already been stated in this House at length over the years, including this week. However, I still see a few glaring gaps in the hiring processes in the GNWT. It often impedes with the chances of Indigenous candidates from successful job competitions. That's why this policy was created in the first place, to help even a playing field for underrepresented people to be hired by the GNWT. As a Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, I have heard many complaints of this process and heard many grievances from current employees that were sharing with me because they were afraid of repercussions at work.

Madam Speaker, picture this: you work for the GNWT. To apply, there are several steps and procedures that must be followed, such as sending your resume, being screened in, interviewed, and then going through further steps such as reference checks before you are sent a job offer and then so on and so on. One of the main issues being reported to me is that we are still seeing newly hired GNWT indeterminate employees that are bypassing our HR processes. One loophole that I noticed, and after hearing my colleagues speak, I can clearly see that there are GNWT staff being hired through casual pools. Once hired as a casual, I have received reports where they are getting job offers without even being interviewed. In my view, this is not acceptable or ethical.

Madam Speaker, I know that the Affirmative Action Policy has helped with the number of interviews Indigenous people will receive. However, this does not always translate to Indigenous hires by the GNWT. I'm hoping we can fix that. More can be done based on everything we have heard recently and there is an appetite to see some tangible changes in the way GNWT hires good, hardworking minorities into its workforce. Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time.